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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Collector's item available!

FRAMED HORSTED PIECE SHOWN HERE WILL BE RAFFLED ON DECEMBER 6

One of the most popular local history books over the past few years has been THE BLACK HILLS Yesterday and Today, published by photographer Paul Horsted of Custer. A frequent speaker across the region, Horsted was kind enough -- after one of his recents talks to the Spearfish Area Historical Society -- to donate a couple of his framed Spearfish "then and now" pieces to the society.

One of those is now on display at the Spearfish Senior Citizen's Center, thanks to Dorothy Pawlowski, whose winning raffle ticket was chosen during our October meeting. Dorothy turned around and donated the work to the center, allowing society members and senior citizen center folks alike to enjoy it throughout the year.

Now is your chance to win another of these fascinating framed prints! The Spearfish Area Historical Society is raffling off the piece shown above at its next meeting on Tuesday, December 6th. And this one is particularly interesting!

"There is one problem with information written on old photos," wrote Horsted on page 134 of his Yesterday and Today book, "...it isn't necessarily accurate. In this case (photo above), someone has written the apparently authoritative inscription 'Sturgis' on a view of Spearfish. The open avenue at right is present-day Kansas Street, while Jackson Boulevard is the next street to the left."

We think that gaff makes this something of a collector's item.

The framed photo will be on display at the December 6th meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society, and tickets will be sold for $1 each -- or six for $5. All proceeds will benefit the Spearfish Area Historical Society. By the way, while leather-bound Collector's Edition of THE BLACK HILLS Yesterday and Today is sold out, copies of the Standard Edition of this fine publication are still available from Golden Valley Press in Custer and from many area bookstores.

The drawing for the Horsted piece is another good incentive for history lovers to drop in for the December society meeting at the Senior Citizen's Center.

Of course, the number one reason to be on hand for the 7:30 p.m. gathering will be the terrific program that awaits! Paul Higbee and Billy Evans will provide a fresh perspective of the Spearfish Irrigation System. No stranger to society gatherings, Paul Higbee has been with us often. We've lost track of the number of talks he's given by to our group -- but it's no wonder. He does his homework and delights folks with his insight and straightforward presentation on a wide range of topics that he's brought to the club. Earlier this year he gave a splendid program on the late Don Smith of Belle Fourche, one of the famed Doolittle Raiders from World War Two. More recently, Paul researched and wrote a History of the Grace Balloch Memorial Library, published by the Friends of the library.

You can get a bit of a sneak preview of the December meeting topic by clicking on this short video entitled Lifeblood of the Valley, featuring an interview with Billy Evans. Produced by the Spearfish Historic Preservation Commission, it should whet your appetite to learn more about the innovative Spearfish irrigation system.

Meetings of the Spearfish Area Historical Society are held at the Senior Citizen's Center on the first Tuesday of every month September through May at 7:30 p.m. and are open to the public. Individual memberships in the society are only $10. Lifetime memberships are just $50. Treats and fellowship follow each program.